There is a man I know
Who’s survived blow after blow
Each time he got up and put on a show
Stronger than ever before

I ask him for his secret sauce
How do you bear your cross
He pauses, then says with a smile

I’ve struggled with my eyesight for a while
I can’t see challenges for mile

There are times when I’ve bitten off more than I could chew
I have stayed true to the path though and always come through

I’ve believed in the vision and the persistence of my soul
They’ve kept me going even as my knees got old

It’s been difficult to stand one leg at a time
Shifting around ain’t fine
The pain in the spine couldn’t hold me back
The knees can’t throw me off the track

The heart’s taken a beating over the years
The bypass was done over ten years

There’s another reason I’ve pulled it through
I never gave up and neither should you

But I know he’s not the man he used to be
Irritable, demanding, tired
It’s difficult to see

He feels his life slipping away
Clutching at his independence, wanting it that way
He’s cynical of the times that have come to be
The world for him has moved off key

It’ll be difficult for us no doubt
But I rather he go
While still up and about